At last, reason for hope down Gorgie way

NEWS OF Hearts' demise is greatly exaggerated. Despite a fourth red card in four days, and slipping to 11th place in the league, there was enough spirit shown in the second 45 minutes to suggest all is far from lost at Tynecastle.

When Calum Elliot, deservedly, was shown a second yellow card by referee John Underhill in the 35th minute it looked as if Hearts were going to implode - again. That impression was not lessened by Kilmarnock going ahead just before the interval, but within the bowels of the old Edinburgh ground Stevie Frail somehow galvanised his demoralised troops at half time. The transformation was astonishing.

The first indication that something might be afoot was when the Hearts players reappeared on the pitch some five minutes early. The sleeves were, metaphorically, rolled up. What followed was a display of passion that finally gave the home support something to roar about and, in the 63rd minute, a thoroughly deserved equaliser.
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Had justice been fully served - and despite a late Killie rally - the 10-men would have taken all three points. With Frail demonstrating he was in full charge by indulging in a splendid barney with Kilmarnock assistant manager Billy Brown, and his players responding to his passion, Tynecastle rocked for the first time in many moons.

Mind you, quite why Kilmarnock took all this home beating of the chests so tamely is a mystery. The visitors' listlessness in the second half was depressing to watch for Jim Jefferies, whose exasperation grew more grim with each passing minute.

"The players were maybe desperate to hold on to what we had, and that's a problem because we defended far too deep," said the Kilmarnock manager. "In the first half, and especially after the boy went off, I thought we stretched them.

"In the second half Hearts weren't looking dangerous until the goal went in. Then the whole atmosphere changed. The crowd got behind them and every time we got the ball we gave it back to them."

After watching three of his men being sent off against Dundee United on Wednesday, Frail must have been beside himself with rage when a fourth followed needlessly in only his second game as caretaker manager. "It's something we need to keep in-house," he said yesterday, having previously stressed the need to be given full authority to sort out his side's discipline.

Despite the drop to 11th place, Frail was entitled to be pleased about the comeback. "In the second half we got the spirit I've been asking for," he said. "I'm disappointed we didn't get the win, but it's something we can build on."

There had been nothing in the opening 20 minutes to suggest the great drama which was to follow, although Kilmarnock, with Danny Invincibile looking the part up front, just shaded them. But it was Hearts who were looking the more dangerous before young striker Elliot undermined their efforts with two moments of madness.

His first yellow card arrived in the 27th minute and was borne out of frustration as he made a crazy lunge at Invincibile. Ironically, Elliot might have scored minutes later had Audrius Ksanavicius cut the ball back to him instead of forcing a save out of Alan Combe, but as Hearts enjoyed their best spell of the match disaster struck.

Deividas Cesnauskas, making his first start for 14 months, forced Combe to turn another shot round the post for a corner and it was from this corner that Elliot made another reckless lunge, this time at Tim Clancy.

Underhill had no choice but to dismiss him, and the afternoon deteriorated further for Hearts in the 45th minute when Jamie Hamill sent over a good cross from the right and Paul Di Giacomo volleyed home.

It was a welcome goal for the Killie striker, returning to the club after an unhappy loan spell at Partick Thistle.

Even in the first half the much maligned Lithuanian contingent had been playing remarkably well for the home side, and none more so than Cesnauskas, who was to lead an amazing second half revival. Shortly after the restart he was joined by substitute Saulius Mikoliunas, and it was a combination that had the visitors' defence in disarray.

Andrius Velicka was another who came into his own in the second half, and it took a great Simon Ford saving tackle as he was about to pull the trigger to prevent an equaliser. The goal arrived in the 63rd minute, with Cesnauskas taking a deep corner, Christophe Berra heading the ball back and Velicka bundling it into the net.

Velicka and Mikoliunas missed great opportunities to score, Frail and Brown squared up, Mikoliunas nipped off to the toilet. It was all happening against a crescendo of noise in the background.

Combe again came to Killie's rescue by tipping shots from Ruben Palazuelos and Christian Nade over the bar before, in the embers of a pulsating second half, the visitors finally got a grip and had three great chances of their own to win through Willie Gibson, Colin Nish and Invincibile. It was a remarkable game.

Taken from the Sunday Herald